1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of sand rakes, and more particularly to a novel sand rake capable of disrupting surface tension of the sand and smoothing the sand in a manner suitable for playing the game of golf.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to smooth and distribute sand over a sand pit by the use of a rake. Such a rake is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,150 which discloses a member carrying a plurality of teeth which may be drawn over the surface of a sand pit when pulled by means of a handle. Problems and difficulties have been encountered when employing such a rake which stem largely from the fact that surface tension of the sand is not adequately broken or disturbed and subsequent smoothing of the sand by the member carrying the teeth is uneven and sometimes results in bumps or small sand hills.
Furthermore, prior rakes are expensive and replacement is uneconomical when they are broken or stepped upon when carelessly strewn about a golf course. Prior sand rakes lack reinforcement and strength in vital areas which are normally used for load transmission during the raking procedure. This lack of reinforcement usually results from the use of hollow tubes which require caps or the like. Another problem resides in the inability of prior sand rakes to completely smooth the surface of a sand trap or pit after surface tension has been broken. The regular alignment of teeth on conventional rakes along with a completely circular transverse cross-section of the member carrying the teeth fails to completely smooth the sand as the rake is drawn over the sand surface. Small irregularities and lumps appear which disrupt a golf player's ball from rolling smoothly and in a desired direction.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel sand rake having the capability of breaking surface tension and completely smoothing the sand as the rake is drawn thereover. The rake should be of sufficient reinforcement so as to prevent easy breakage or damage due to mishandling of the rake.